Your Studies at Hiyoshi Will Determine Your Future

April is a season of new encounters. When I step into a new class for the first time, a certain thought always crosses my mind: by some twist of fate, we are about to study Chinese together. Some students stay in my class from their first to their fourth year, and seeing them looking so much more mature and confident after finishing their job hunting reminds me of their freshness as first-year students, filling me with deep emotion.

In the Chinese language courses common to the Faculty of Law, we thoroughly instill in first-year students a pronunciation that will last a lifetime. To help them master the tones and beautiful sounds of Chinese, my classes sometimes involve reciting classical Chinese poetry and children's songs. For second-year students, while balancing conversation and reading comprehension from other classes, my class focuses primarily on the systematic study of grammar.   

Some students enjoy studying grammar, while others struggle with it, but the students who truly improve are those who have a solid understanding of it. I always emphasize to them: stop bluffing and learn to speak with confidence using correct grammar. By the third and fourth years, students who worked hard during their time at Hiyoshi show remarkable improvement. While reviewing what they have learned, they can enjoy their studies by reading Chinese in various styles, memorizing four-character idioms and historical anecdotes, and getting a feel for the 'rhythm' of the language.

The Keio University Faculty of Law is also famous as a center for modern Chinese studies in Japan. The Chinese you learn at the university will surely enrich your life if you aspire to be involved in Japan-China relations, whether in the world of academia or business.